High Angle Rope Rescue

This program is designed to provide trainees with the skills required for safe, effective, and reliable methods of rescuing trapped or injured persons from elevated structures or areas of difficult access.

Physical Requirements

SSTL’s industrial courses involve rigorous practical exercises with significant physical demands. Please note that during the training program, you will be required to perform the following activities as a physically fit participant:

• Lift and manipulate another trainee with a second rescuer
• Manipulate another trainee up, down and across representative confined space openings
• Hoist another trainee upwards using a rope mechanical advantage system  (1/3 or 1/4 of the person’s weight)

Due to the physical requirements of these industrial courses, they are not recommended for persons who have pre-existing back, joint or soft tissue medical issues or any other pre-existing injury/medical condition that may hinder your ability to participate in the above noted activities.

Program Content

This program will teach safe techniques of technical rope rescue.  Trainees will learn knowledge and skills through a combination of lecture presentations, demonstrations, and individual and team exercises.  Trainees must successfully complete written and practical testing in order to receive course certification.

Areas of study will include the following:

• Care, Maintenance and Use of All Rescue Equipment
• Care, Maintenance and Use of All Rescue Lines
• Anchor Selection and Rigging
• Rescuer Safety
• Two Rope Rescue System Rigging
• Packaging of Casualties
• Rappel Techniques
• One Rescuer Technique (Pick-Off)
• Casualty Lowering
• Casualty Raises Using Mechanical Advantage
• How to Use Stokes-type Baskets for Structural Rescue
• Rope Rescue Problem Solving
• Rescue Team Structure

Practical training exercises will be conducted on a suitable elevated structure using the following equipment:

• Stokes Basket
• Improvised Emergency Harness
• Descenders
• Belay Devices
• Mechanical Advantage Haul Systems
• Rescuer Harness
• Anchoring Devices
• Rope Grabs, Carabineers, and other Hardware
• Litter Attendant
• SKED/OSS
• Rescue Rope and Accessory Cord